How Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system works



Since the start of fighting between Hamas and Israel, the country's Iron Dome missile defense system has likely intercepted thousands of rockets and missiles launched from Gaza.

Why it matters: For over a decade, the multibillion-dollar system has been crucial in defending Israeli cities and preventing numerous casualties.

Background: The latest fighting erupted after Hamas launched an assault on Israel, killing and kidnapping soldiers and civilians, and launching scores of rocket and missile barrages.

Israel has responded with heavy bombardment on the densely populated Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run enclave that's home to 2 million Palestinians. It also cut electricity and blocked the entry of food, fuel and supplies to Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that more than 5,000 rockets have been fired from Gaza since the start of the attack. The exact number of projectiles that have been intercepted is unknown, but a few have made it past the Iron Dome.

How does the Iron Dome work?

The all-weather mobile system was designed to destroy short-ranged projectiles — like rockets, missiles and artillery — launched primarily from Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

It works through a combination of radar to detect incoming threats, batteries that launch interceptor missiles carrying proximity warheads and communication systems to relay guidance data.

The batteries can neutralize threats launched from up to 43 miles away, while at the same time ignoring projectiles that are projected to strike unpopulated areas.

Israel has at least 10 batteries placed around the country to protect civilians and critical infrastructure, with each battery able to defend up to nearly 60 square miles of land.

The Iron Dome is just one layer of Israel's missile defense network, as it also has systems for low to mid-range, upper-atmospheric and exo-atmospheric projectiles.



Israel's Iron Dome defense system intercepting missiles launched by Hamas from Gaza over the city of Netivot on Oct. 8. Photo: Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images

How effective is it?

Iron Dome's effectiveness has steadily improved since it first successfully took out a hostile projectile in April 2011, eventually achieving a success rate of around 90%, according to by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, one of the Israeli firms that developed it.
It's proven to be been highly effective in recent years. Militant groups in Gaza fired at least 4,000 rockets during the 11-day May 2021 war and killed some 13 Israelis.

At least 248 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes during that war.

How much does it cost?

The total cost of developing, manufacturing, deploying and maintaining the system isn't known, but it's likely in the several billions.

A complete battery costs an estimated $100 million to produce, while each interceptor costs up to around $50,000, according to a Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis.

By contrast, the launchers and projectiles produced by or provided to Hamas likely cost a fraction of that but have the potential to inflict widespread damage to civilians and infrastructure.

The U.S. since 1946 has allocated almost $10 billion to Israeli missile defense systems, including nearly $3 billion for the Iron Dome, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The Biden administration is expected to ask Congress for more missile defense funding for Israel in response to Hamas' attack, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

The big picture:

Last year, Ukraine asked Israel for an Iron Dome system and other air defense equipment to defend against Iranian ballistic missiles and attack drones used by Russia in its ongoing invasion.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year said supports Ukraine but ruled out sending Kyiv an Iron Dome system over concerns that it could be obtained by Iran, which would greatly jeopardize Israel's security.

Several other countries have also expressed interest in buying Iron Dome systems in recent years, including Germany, Romania and India. The U.S. Army has purchased at least two batteries.

Mislim da će Rusi i Iranci ovo odšutjeti, kakvo god da bude, i pokušati iskoristiti to da u sunitskom svijetu okrenu javno mnijenje na svoju stranu, protiv proazpadnih vlada.

Doduše Azeri bi mogli nayebati, ako prihvate ulogu izraelskog proxya. Iranci i Rusi na mogu pomoći Palestincima, ali se na ovim mogu istresti.

Samo, pa je financiraju Ameri svaki put kad se isprazni baterija.
Osim toga isplativa je samo kad imaš tehnološki nazadnu naciju za protivnika.

Ofenziva odgođena jer Izrael ima obavještajne podatke da će Hamas napasti na sjeveru čim većina izraelskih snaga bude zauzeta s Gazom.
Zato je i stigao drugi američki nosač, vjerojatno su i Ameri savjetovali da odgode dok ne stigne još američke pomoći
Odgođeno dok se ne pojačaju na sjeveru i pripreme za oba fronta i ne odredi koji su konkretni planovi s Gazom.

Ofenziva odgođena jer Izrael ima obavještajne podatke da će Hamas napasti na sjeveru čim većina izraelskih snaga bude zauzeta s Gazom.
Zato je i stigao drugi američki nosač, vjerojatno su i Ameri savjetovali da odgode dok ne stigne još američke pomoći
Odgođeno dok se ne pojačaju na sjeveru i pripreme za oba fronta i ne odredi koji su konkretni planovi s Gazom.

misliš Hezbolah će napasti na sjeveru?

Pa kako oni misle ratovati sa Iranom ne mogu Hezbolah riješiti.

Da Hezbolah, zato je i evakuirano 28 naselja na sjeveru.
Po obavještajnim podacima Hezbolah se sigurno uključuje u rat.
Izrael je već bio prebacio udarne jedinice na jug a sjever je trebalo čuvati nekoliko desetaka tisuća rezervista.
Imaju potvrdu da su na Golansku visoravan došle udarne jedinice Hezbolaha.

Pa kako oni misle ratovati sa Iranom ne mogu Hezbolah riješiti.

Iran je na papiru nekoliko koplja iznad Izraela kao i Hezbolah sa 120 000 raketa.
Bolje im je bez Amerikanaca, konvencionalno mislim imaju male šanse.

Vi koji ste detaljnije pratili sirijski rat koje su udarne brigade Hezbolaha tamo i koliko su tamo uopće imali pripadnika?

Izraelski rezervisti bi tu imali ozbiljnih problema sa iskusnim borcima Hezbolaha.
Po obavještajnim podacima glavni napad bi išao iz Sirije preko Golana.

nitko rat nije dobio s nekakvim raketama, to služi za uništenje infrastrukture, gađanje vojnih ciljeva, u ovom slučaju vjerojatno i civilnih za postizanje što više žrtava, ali s tim neće dobiti rat, nego samo još brutalniji izraelski odgovor.

Pa čekaj Izrael se zadnjih 15 godina priprema za taj rat protiv Hezbollaha, Hamasa uz podršku Irana. Kako to da se nisu pripremili? Sve ovo se zna već dugo.

Underlined the need to immediately stop Zionist crimes&murder in Gaza&to dispatch humanitarian aid. I stressed that time is running out for political solutions; probable spread of war in other fronts is approaching unavoidable stage.

Da Hezbolah, zato je i evakuirano 28 naselja na sjeveru.
Po obavještajnim podacima Hezbolah se sigurno uključuje u rat.
Izrael je već bio prebacio udarne jedinice na jug a sjever je trebalo čuvati nekoliko desetaka tisuća rezervista.
Imaju potvrdu da su na Golansku visoravan došle udarne jedinice Hezbolaha.